1968 Chevy Camaro - Matchmaker

If you go to a local car show or cruise night, chances are quite high you'll run across a first-generation Camaro. These things are everywhere, and people continue to build them in a variety of styles. You may even see a Pro Touring car, a drag car, and a restored stocker at the same event—there's absolutely no question about the first-generation Camaro's popularity. Looking back about 40 years though, building a Camaro would result in the car you see here, which features big-and-little Cragar wheels, protruding rear tires, and highly visible traction bars. Those were the key components to a cool car during the early '70s, and this radical styling eventually led to the Pro Street era, which was an equally cool time in automotive history.

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Claude Minor has owned this Camaro since he was 17 years old. He salivated over the car for three years, as it belonged to his uncle, but the two finally struck a deal at $2,500—quite the sum for a 17-year-old in 1983. Claude drove the car for three months and decided to have it painted, so he could have his senior pictures taken with it, thus making him the coolest guy at his high school. New quarter-panels and front fenders got rid of the rust, while a slick coat of lacquer paint turned his beater into the ultimate high school cruiser. Unfortunately, the thermostat stuck one day and the small-block overheated, cracking the heads and putting the car out of commission. Fast forward to 1989, and Claude is ready to put the car back on the road and drive it to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the Fall Grand Run. As it turns out, this trip would change his life forever. Cheesy but true.

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Sitting in the legendary Pigeon Forge traffic, the Camaro's alternator failed, leaving him stranded in the middle of the road. A young lady he'd never met hopped out of her car to help him push it off the road, and she must have done a great job, because he ended up marrying her the next year. They drove away from their wedding in this car, but it sat in storage for several years before it was transformed into the configuration you see here. During the restoration, Claude went as far as tracking down the original owner to get the story on the car and discovered its original options. His research revealed the car was a factory Super Sport 350 with the Rally Sport package, in addition to air conditioning, power steering, and power brakes. With a highly optioned car like this one, most folks would've opted for a full restoration, but Claude decided to go with an early drag racing theme. Claude says, "I like cars the way they were in the '60s and '70s, hot rod style."

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After a five-year restoration, the Camaro is nothing short of flawless, inside and out. It has all the cool stuff a car guy would've wanted back in the day. In addition, it has a serious small-block under the hood with plenty of internal goodies that equate to 540 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque on pump gas. It's a killer street machine that perfectly embodies a period restoration, and Claude and his wife, Jennifer, are certainly proud of the finished product.

Tech Notes

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Who: Claude and Jennifer Minor

What: '68 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS

Where: Sevierville, TN: Think Smoky Mountains.

Engine: The Mouse motor started with a Dart Little M block, which offers a final displacement of 415 ci thanks to a 4.125-inch bore and a 3.875-inch stroke. The Cola S-series crankshaft sends a set of Eagle 6-inch H-beam rods and JE pistons into motion. With 10.3:1 compression, this is tame enough for pump gas, but the CNC-ported Airflow Research 210 cylinder heads offer big-time power. A Comp Cams solid roller motivates the stainless steel valves, while an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake draws in plenty of fuel and air from the 830-cfm Race Demon carburetor. A complete MSD ignition system lights the fire, while Hooker Super Comp headers relieve the engine of its spent gases. Claude built the engine himself but received help from Richard Reagan when it came time to tune it on the dyno, where it made 540 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane pump gas. The small-block looks the part thanks to a set of N.O.S. Mickey Thompson valve covers.

Transmission: Claude's car was originally a four-speed, so he kept it that way but updated to a BorgWarner Super T10 from a '78 Camaro. A Hays flywheel hooks up to a Centerforce 11-inch clutch, while a Lakewood blow-proof bellhousing contains it all. A super-rare N.O.S. Hurst Ram Rod shifter selects the gears.

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Chassis: The front suspension is all stock aside from a pair of QA1 shocks, but the rear suspension has quite a few goodies. The stock leaf springs are equipped with Lakewood traction bars for the old-school look, while a finned-aluminum cover dresses the 12-bolt. The big rearend contains a 4.10:1 gearset, a Positraction differential, and a pair of Moser axles. Braking power consists of stock discs up front and drums out back, while the original power steering setup is still intact as well. A four-point rollbar and Chassis Engineering subframe connectors keep the car sturdy.

Wheels/Tires: This is where some folks just don't get it. Cragar S/S wheels that protrude past the quarters are out of style, but they are absolutely perfect for this car. The fronts are 15x4.5, while the rears come in at 15x10 inches with 4.5 inches of backspacing. When you consider the 26x7.5- and 28x12.50-inch Mickey Thompson rubber, this combination would've been a car guy's dream in the early '70s.

Exterior: Claude only added a steel cowl-induction hood to his '68 Camaro during the restoration. The stock body was sent to Boruff's Auto Body in Maryville, Tennessee, to be prepared for the car's original color of black. Jim Boruff laid down the PPG base/clear paint, and he sanded and buffed the fresh materials to a mirrorlike finish. This car is undoubtedly slick, and Claude didn't spare any expense when it came time to buy new moldings, emblems, and trim. The rear spoiler has Grumps Group hand-lettered on it as a tribute to Grumpy Jenkins' racing team from.

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Interior: Deluxe houndstooth material covers the seats, while the steering column is fit with a vintage Stewart Warner tach, and a Grant three-spoke wheel. Matching Stewart Warner gauges ride in a three-gauge pod beneath the dash. Simpson harnesses add to the cool factor, as does the glovebox, which has been signed by The Grump.